Collector.



- A. HELFENSTEIN.

COLLECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1913.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

COLUMBIA PLANDGRAFH C0,,WASHINGTON, D. c.

provements in that class of current collec- ALOIS HELFENSTEIN,

OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

COLLECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 31, 1913.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

Serial No. 758,024.

ing, elements may consist partly or entirely of 1ron, which will be magnetically held firmly against the contact rail borne by the car.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Anors Hunrnnsrmn, a citizen of the Swiss Republic, residing at 50 Bastiengasse XVIII, Vienna, Austria-H gary, have invented a new and useful (301- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a car and lector, of which the following is a specificatrack, both car and track being equipped tion. in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2

My invention relates principally to im is an end view of said car and track. Fig.

3 is an end view showing a modified form of over-head construction for the track and a modified form of car construction. Fig. 4 is a detail cross section through one form of collector. Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation of said collector. Fig. 6 is a detail cross section of a second form of collector. Fig. 7 is a detail side elevation of the sec ond form of collector.

In Fig. 1, a is a single car, to which are afiixed broad insulated contact strips or rails I). These latter are preferably bent down sufficiently at the ends to permit the brushes to make and break contact without shock. The brushes 0 0 are attached to poles, arranged along the track at distances corresponding to the minimum car length or train length, so that at least one brush will always be in contact with the rail or strip. The brushes consist of several free-hanging elements each, a sufficient number of brushes being arranged in the line of motion of the train, that transfer from the contact rail of one car to that of the next one will be fully bridged over by the brushes, and the electrical connection remain uninterrupted. The contact rails, in case of a train consisting of several cars, are furnished besides with flexible connections, so that the current can be led to the motor throughout the entire length of the train. In order, in addition, to magnetize the contact rail of the car, exciting magnet coils m are arranged under it, so that it constitutes one of the elect'ro-magnet poles. These coils are magnetized by continuous current from the car.

Fig. 2 shows a front view of the train or car, and the arrangement of the brushes; b represents the contact rail on the car, 0 the brushes on the pole is; in the case of either single-phase alternating current, or continuous current, having return connection through the track rail. The cars have on each side a contact rail 7) (Fig. 2); this permitting the pole arms to be shorter and less strained, and the cars to run in either direction without being turned. Where three phase current is used, three tors which are fixed to the overhead conductors and make electrical contact with contact rails or strips on the roof of the car, as distinguished from that class in which the collector is attached to the car and make constant contact with overhead conductors arallel to the track on which the car runs; and the object of my improvements are first, to avoid shocks and strains on poles, collectors and cars, second to reduce the wear and tear on these three; third to reduce the noise caused by making and breaking electrical and mechanical contact; and fourth to avoid interruptions of the electrical current.

Current collectors for electrically-driven vehicles are known, which are supplied with contact rails on the vehicles and contacts attached to conductors arranged in the direction of the line. In this latter class there have been used only single contact pieces, as for instance, loops or bows, which must be firmly pressed against the contact strip by their own elasticity-or by separate springs. This pressure causes considerable straining of the poles, contact pieces and vehicles, especially when fast running, it results in slamming of the contact pieces, and can also lead to sparking and to interruption of the current. In the invention here described, these disadvantages are done away with by the fact that the electric connection is effected by groups. of freely hanging contact pieces, as for instance chains, metal bands, or similar elements, which come into light contact with the contact-strips, for the purpose of making a reliable electrical connection without great pressure at the point of contact, and without causing much stress on poles, contact-pieces, or vehicle.

As contact elements there may be used long slender metal filaments, wire, sheetmetal' strips, or wire rope, which can be movable about joints on the backs of the brushes.

In order to diminish swinging, and effect constant electrical connection, the contact oarallel contact rails can be arranged side by side on the roof of the car. (Fig. 3.)

Figs. 4 and 5 show one form of the invention wherein a support 9 adapted to be connected to the pole in is provided with a series of depending links 8 which are attached at their upper ends to the support g and at their lower ends serve to support a bar 1 from which depends a series of chains 0 preferably arranged in parallel rows as shown. The bar 1* is held spaced from the support g and prevented from swinging to too great a degree by means of a spring 7. The conductor wire (Z is led down from the pole and is provided with a flattened end t which is connected electrically to the 0011- ductor plate 'r so that current can flow from the conductor plate through the chain 0.

In the form of the device shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the parts are the same as in Figs. 4 and 5 with the exception that in place of the flexible chains 0 there are provided a series of filaments t of fine wire which serve the same purpose as the chains 0.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In an electric railway system, the combination of a contact rail upon the roof of a car, of paramagnetic material, of freely movable, flexible, magnetically energized contact elements arranged over a track in groups and slidingly contacting with said rail.

2. In an electric railway system, the combination of an insulated, comparatively wide contact rail of paramagnetic material having downwardly bent ends upon the roof of a car, of freely movable, flexible, magnetically energized contact elements arranged ovcr a track in groups spaced apart for a distance less than the length of a car and slidingly contacting with said rail.

3. In an electric railway system, the combination of insulated contact rails of paramagnetic material upon the roof of a car provided with downwardly directed ends, exciting magnet coils disposed beneath said rails for magnetizing said rails, of freely movable, linked, flexible, magnetically energized chains constituting contact elements arranged in groups over a track and spaced apart for a distance less than the length of a car and slidingly contacting with said rails.

4. The combination with a car provided with a contact rail of paramagnetic material, a magnet disposed beneath said rail and arranged to energize the same, and a flexible contact member of paramagnetic material suspended above said contact rail and adapted to contact therewith upon the passage of said car.

5. In an electric railway system, the combination of comparatively wide insulated contact rails of paramagnetic material upon the roof of a car provided with downwardly directed ends, exciting magnet coils disposed beneath said rails for magnetizing the same, of freely movable, linked, flexible, magnetically energized chains constituting contact elements suspended from spaced links and arranged in groups over a track spaced apart for a distance less than the length of a car and slidingly and intimately contacting with said rails.

6. In an electric railway system, the combination of comparatively wide insulated contact rails of paramagnetic material upon the roof of a car provided with downwardly directed ends, exciting magnet coils disposed beneath said rails for magnetizing the same, of freely movable, linked, flexible, magnetically energized chains constituting contact elements, supports each carrying a bar having its ends secured to spaced links attached at their upper ends to said supports, arranged in groups over a track spaced apart for a distance less than the length of a car, said chains slidingl and intimately contacting with said rails by the magnetic property of said rails, means for limiting the swinging motion of said bar and for spacing the same from for electrically connecting bar and said chains.

ALOIS HELFENSTEIN. Witnesses:

AUGUST FUGGER, TGNOZ KNoRrELMAoHLn.

7 Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

, Washington, D. C.

said support, means 

